


Crimson Days: Confessions & Hugs

by BattleScarredRaven



Series: Crimson Days 2021 [7]
Category: Destiny (Video Games)
Genre: (Crow is so touch starved please send help), (Ikora has a son in this and he's adorable), Crimson Days 2021, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-07
Updated: 2021-03-07
Packaged: 2021-03-13 10:42:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,638
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29899893
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BattleScarredRaven/pseuds/BattleScarredRaven
Summary: Bungie cancelled Crimson Days. Time to bring it back with some one-shot writing prompts.Prompts list taken fromhereandhere.Day 7: Confessions (and Hugs because why not.)Osiris tells Ikora the truth about a certain New Light in the Tower.
Relationships: Ikora Rey & Osiris, Ikora Rey/Zavala (mentioned/implied), The Crow (Destiny) & Glint | The Crow's Ghost, The Crow (Destiny) & Ikora Rey, The Crow (Destiny) & Osiris
Series: Crimson Days 2021 [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2148726
Kudos: 12





	Crimson Days: Confessions & Hugs

**Author's Note:**

> Looks guys there is a non-zero chance Ikora doesn't know who Crow was. Hell, she probably saw Osiris sneak him into the Tower.
> 
> I mean. Zavala asks her about it and SHE TAKES A MOMENT TO ANSWER AND FEELS GUILTY ABOUT IT COME ON.
> 
> So yeah, naturally this came about. In the context of my own verse, of course. Because I needed an excuse for Crow to have a cute moment with Kayde, okay?

_“_ **_Don’t go chasing your past; it is only a distraction from the future in front of you. Where you come from is not as important as what you do with the new life you have been given.”_ **

\- A well-known Guardian mantra.

* * *

_Osiris gently transmatted into the HELM’s main war room, staring out of the sizable, almost panoramic windows towards the Traveler and the dusky evening sky beyond before turning his attention to the War Table. Ikora was already there, sat down at the opposite end of the vast holographic map, bouncing a young, bright eyed infant on one knee. The elder Warlock’s hazel brown eyes caught her honey ones and, underneath the red scarf covering his face, his lips curved into a smile._

_“Ikora,” he greeted her warmly, motioning towards his former student slowly, arms folded neatly behind his back. “Had I known you were already… preoccupied, I would not have called you here.”_

_“It is no trouble, Osiris.” Ikora returned his smile with a small one of her own, even though she could not see his. “Kayde was having difficulty falling asleep and he likes being taken on walks around the Tower. The excitement of seeing new environments wears him down to the point he can no longer fight his tiredness.”_

_Osiris gazed down with adoration at the dark-skinned Awoken child sat on the younger Warlock’s leg. Glowing, pale blue eyes met his with a look of wonder, and he reached out to gently and affectionately ruffle Kayde’s short tufts of raven coloured hair with a gloved hand. The old Warlock received a babbling giggle for his efforts._

_“I could call Saint to come watch over him for you, if you want.” Osiris offered; he was not oblivious to his mentee’s deliberate choice of words, the glaring omissions in her sentences and how exhausted she looked, for he was guilty for some of it. Yet to bring it up directly would only make Ikora try and power through it more; in such a regard, she was almost like himself, not that he would ever admit it out loud. “I’m certain he would not mind, and he has always been good with the City’s children…”_

_Ikora held up a hand. “I appreciate the thought, but that won’t be necessary. If I can’t handle my son now, how can I be expected to handle things when they are tougher down the line?”_

_“I was not insinuating that you were incapable of such,” Osiris clarified softly. “Just that you should be kinder to yourself. Nobody would think any less of you if you needed a break from being a mother for a few hours, Ikora. Especially at times like this.”_

_The offer, when phrased like that, was almost too tempting to resist. But still, the Warlock Vanguard shook her head. “And when I need to lean on my friends, I will. But for now, I’m coping.”_

_Osiris doubted this, but did not further press the issue. Instead, he made a mental note that, once all this business with Caiatl was over, he would get Saint to speak to Zavala about temporarily taking over as Vanguard Commander for him. Perhaps Saladin would be amenable to helping with that discussion too, he thought. The Commander needed a break, and if anyone could force him to relax, even just for a short while, it would be one of those two. Or his Ghost._

_“Anyway,” Ikora continued, bouncing her thigh a little slower, allowing Kayde to curl his tiny, shimmering fingers around her much larger thumbs, “I doubt you called me here to discuss my wellbeing.”_

_“Astutely observant, as ever.” Osiris chuckled, before pacing away from her again, this time towards the centre of the room. “No, I did not. I have something to tell you. More of a confession, really.”_

_The younger Warlock’s gaze followed him, expectant. “Oh?”_

_“Its contents cannot leave this room. Not yet. The consequences… they aren’t something we need right now. We need all the help we can get, not making more enemies.”_

_“That much we can agree on.” Ikora nodded. “Does Zavala know about this?”_

_“No.” Osiris confirmed her suspicions immediately. “He does not.” He stopped just short of the middle of the room, turning back to look at her. “The New Light Hunter acting as our recon scout against Empress Caiatl’s forces? The one that arrived in the City in the past few weeks?”_

_“The Crow?”_

_“Yes. He was… once a former Reef Prince that we were all, until recently, very well acquainted with.”_

_Ikora stilled completely for a moment, every inch of her body taut. Kayde, sensing the change in his mother, squeezed her thumbs tighter and the Warlock had to force herself to relax again. She took in a breath through her nose. One, two. Then slowly exhaled through her mouth again. It was a technique Osiris himself had taught her for anchoring herself, and she noted the look of approval in his old, hazel eyes._

_“I know,” was her eventual reply after a few tense moments of silence._

_“You know?” Osiris folded his arms across his chest, eyebrow raised questioningly at her. “Your Hidden?”_

_“No. Dallas-13.” Ikora admitted quietly. “They crossed paths once before on Io, before the arrival of the Black Fleet.”_

_“Figures she would be involved in all this. She was the one who liberated Crow from the clutches of the Spider.”_

_“So that’s why she has been spending a lot of time on the Shore lately. Zavala and I were worried that she… well.” Ikora trailed off, gazing at the War Table sadly. “After what happened with Cayde, we didn’t know what to think. Trust the truth to be an irony.”_

_“You begin to understand my reluctance to tell Zavala.” Osiris unfolded his arms, nodding. “Honestly, I wasn’t certain if I should even tell_ **_you_ ** _, given your closeness to Cayde compared to the Commander, but… you surprise me by taking this far better than I could have hoped.”_

_“‘The bones of what we become have more influence than the flesh we leave behind us.’” Ikora quoted the old phrase from a pre-Golden Age text, almost word for word. “He’s the Guardian that saved your life. And he saved Dallas’ life and influenced her to take over the role of Hunter Vanguard. If she can forgive the sins of his previous flesh having been witness to it, then so can I. I suspect he’s already had to suffer enough.”_

_“You have no idea.”_

_Both Warlocks’ heads snapped towards the source of the new voice, only to catch the bird-hooded, black masked Crow leaning sheepishly against the door just opposite the Umbral Decoder._

_“My apologies Osiris, Vanguard Rey.” He held up his hands before him in an obvious gesture of surrender. “I was sleeping, and I heard voices, so I came to investigate.”_

_Osiris let out a sigh of barely suppressed irritation. “How long have you been standing there for?!”_

_“Truthfully, I just got here.” Crow admitted with a shrug of his shoulders. “If I’m interrupting anything important, then I’ll take my leave now and let you both continue.”_

_“No.” Ikora stated, gently shifting Kayde to rest on the crook of her left elbow and rising to her feet, surprising both men. “Stay a moment. There’s… there’s something you need to hear, I think. From me.”_

_She met both men in the centre of the room, where she passed her son to Osiris, who was only too happy to mind over him for a while, like he had been expecting it. Ikora then approached Crow, who glanced up at her, swallowing the lump in his throat, not entirely knowing what was going to happen. The Warlock Vanguard closed in, reminiscent of a hunter stalking prey, then just… enveloped him in a hug?_

_Crow froze. He didn’t know what to do with that. He hadn’t been touched by another person except in anger in this life yet, and the part of him that wanted to melt into the embrace was currently warring with the part of his mind still struggling to come to terms with the fact it was_ **_Ikora Rey_ ** _\- Warlock Vanguard, greatest student of Osiris, Crucible Champion and master Voidwalker - that was touching him. Should could so easily destroy him with just a flick of Light from her gloved fingers, a kick of her boot to his head. And yet…_

_And yet, and yet, and yet…_

_“Thank you.” She squeezed him tight to her - a little awkward, given their difference in height - but not so tight Crow couldn’t pull away if he wanted to. “For saving him on the Moon.”_

_At those words, the young Awoken Hunter found himself relaxing into Ikora’s hold somewhat. By the time he had collected himself together enough to motion his arms to her back, however, the Warlock had pulled away. Instead, he offered her a look of gratitude._

_“Just doing my duty, Vanguard Rey.” Crow felt himself blush slightly, and was thankful for the black leather covering his face for once. “Any other Guardian would have done the same. And I can’t take all the credit…”_

_“Don’t sell yourself short, young fledgling.” Osiris admonished him lightheartedly. “You went above and beyond on the Moon, for someone you barely even knew, and when you were freed, you could have gone anywhere, but chose to come here. We need more Guardians like you.”_

_Crow looked towards the ground, now thoroughly embarrassed, but Ikora’s hand at his left shoulder had him looking back up at the Warlock Vanguard again in an instant._

_“You’re a credit to Guardians all across the system, Crow. To the City.” She told him truthfully, her gaze full of pride. “In time, others will come to see that, too. Whatever Dallas saw in you the day she rescued you, she was right. And one day, you will live up to it.”_

_Crow’s liquid fire eyes glanced between both Warlocks. Osiris merely nodded at him, gently rocking Kayde in his arms, while Ikora offered him a slight smile._

_“I hope I can live up to your kind words, Vanguard Rey.”_

_But Ikora shook her head, motioning to retrieve her son back from Osiris, cradling him against her chest. “You can dispense with the formalities, Guardian. Just Ikora will suffice outside of missions.”_

_“As you wish, Ikora.” The name felt foreign on Crow’s tongue, his eyes falling on the infant in the Warlock Vanguard’s arms. Curious, glowing blue eyes stared back up at him. “He’s your son?”_

_“Yes.” Ikora smiled down at Kayde proudly. “It’s a bit of a long story, but…”_

_Crow would have liked to hear that tale sometime, but it was far too late in the evening for that, and he could practically feel the exhaustion radiating from the Warlock in her Light. Something made him feel compelled to act, to do something - anything - to help._

_“May I?” He asked lightly, reaching a hand towards Kayde but stopping just short of actually touching him._

_“Go ahead.” Ikora nodded her approval. “You can hold him too, if he’s willing.”_

_“That won’t be necessary.” Crow was quick to rebuff the suggestion. Partially because it was the truth, but mostly because he was uncomfortable with the idea. He rested his hand lightly on Kayde’s forehead, shutting his burnt orange eyes. “Shh, shh. It’s all going to be alright. No monsters here. Just plenty of Guardians and people who will protect you.” When he removed his hand, the young baby was sound asleep._

_Both Warlocks stared at him in amazement, but it was the younger who spoke first. “By the Traveler, how did you do that? That’s incredible!”_

_“I…” The young Hunter gazed at his hand, turning it this way and that. “I don’t know. I just… it felt like the right thing to do. Like I was following some unknown instinct.”_

_“Perhaps it is some Awoken trait?” Osiris suggested. “They seem to have powers that the rest of us, even Guardians, do not.”_

_Crow lowered his hand. “Whatever the case may be, hopefully your son doesn’t trouble you further tonight. You…” He considered his words for a moment, before continuing softly, “You look exhausted, Ikora.”_

_Osiris shot him a warning look, but Ikora just sagged a little with the lightest of sighs. If a New Light could tell, then there was no point in hiding it any longer. “It’s… it’s been difficult, I’ll admit.”_

_“You should get some rest. Perhaps something to eat too, if you haven’t already.” The elder Warlock told her._

_“If you’re going to stay on the HELM for a while, I could probably rustle something up for us.” Crow offered. “I mean, I’m a little rusty, but…”_

_“Perhaps we should leave the cooking to professional chefs.” Osiris chuckled at him. “I’ll have Saint bring something for you both. A few comforts for Kayde too, if you’re planning on staying here for the night, Ikora.”_

_She shook her head in mock exasperation, voice fond when she spoke next. “You’re doing it again. Acting like you’re my parent even though I’m perfectly able to look after myself. Next you’ll say that you’ll be paying for the food, too. Tell Saint I’ll give him the Glimmer when he gets here.”_

_“If it means no more arguments, then gladly.”_

_“No more arguments.” Ikora motioned back to the chair she was sat at earlier. “But what about you? Where are you going?”_

_“I’ll be going to help Zavala with his work. Many hands, no? After that, I’ll be sending him your way. Or, at the very least, somewhere to rest himself.”_

_“I’d… appreciate that.”_

_“Good, though I wasn’t looking for approval.”_

_With that, Osiris disappeared in a flash of transmat light, leaving Ikora, a sleeping Kayde and Crow alone in the HELM together. The latter shifted from foot to foot, uncertain._

_“I uh…” The Awoken Hunter rubbed the back of his hooded head nervously, “I should probably go do some equipment checks for my next recon mission while we wait. Can’t be too careful, right?”_

_“Stay.” Ikora commanded him gently, drawing her legs up underneath her body in order to sit cross-legged on her seat, Kayde still balanced in her arms. “I normally meditate around now. Join me.”_

_“I… I wouldn’t want to intrude.”_

_“It’s not intruding if I’m asking.”_

_Truer words had never been spoken, though Crow’s legs still refused to move until he felt a small shape nudge into his back._

_“Go on.” The familiar, Reef-made shell of his Ghost was both a welcoming sight and a slightly embarrassing one. “Ikora doesn’t just offer this to anyone, you know!”_

_“Glint, that doesn’t help!” Crow lightly reprimanded him through gritted teeth._

_“Well,_ **_I’m_ ** _going to join in. Warlock meditations can be quite enlightening, or so I’ve heard.”_

_The earnest little Ghost twirled the front half of his shell, before flying off to rest on the War Table, close to Ikora. Crow’s flame coloured eyes glared after him in feigned betrayal before he gave in with a sigh, striding across to sit on the floor before the Warlock Vanguard in a similar pose to her._

_“What do I do?” He asked in a whisper._

_“Close your eyes.” Ikora instructed him. “I will handle the rest.”_

_Crow did exactly that, and moments later, the HELM seemed to melt away, replaced instead by a sea of stars. He felt like he was floating on nothing, the troubles of the world he had been thrust into far, far away from wherever he was. When he next opened his eyes, Ikora was floating before him, Kayde resting soundly in her lap, her eyes and body glowing with a brilliant, Void-coloured aura. He felt Solar energy course through him, warm and comforting, and shut his eyes once more._

_For the first time in his short life, Crow knew the feeling of true peace._


End file.
